Something Good
by ARandomTimeOfDay
Summary: Hide is a pharmaceutical prodigy student close to creating a drug that allows ghouls to create the enzymes they need to break down human food, but suddenly his life's in danger by a greed-corrupted CCG who (afraid they would loose funding and have to cut back higher ups pay and investigators jobs) are determined to assassinate Hide before he can finish his work. Rest inside
1. Chapter 1

Full Summary:

Hide is a pharmaceutical prodigy student close to creating a drug that allows ghouls to create the enzymes they need to break down human food, but suddenly his life's in danger by a greed-corrupted CCG who (afraid they would loose funding and have to cut back higher ups pay and investigators jobs) are determined to assassinate Hide before he can finish his work. After a failed assassination attempt at Anteiku; Yoshimura calls in a favour from infamous ghoul Centipede and before he knows it Hide is trying to complete his life's work from an Aogiri Tree lab in a new ward with his (super hot babysitter) aloof bodyguard.

Authors Note:

Yo, I wrote this in like an hour. I was gonna write more until I actually introduced Kaneki but im a mean ol' ace. Hes gonna be first up in the next chapter though. Please kudos and comment because this is my first tokyo ghoul fanfic i need the support. Just a warning this is un beta'd. I'm going to edit the chapters before i post the next one so i forget the plot and what i wrote so i can detect spelling errors sooner

*edit*

Thanks to NytAhwuhl for helping me to edit this chapter ^^

ARTOD xx

XX

Hide rarely noticed the time when he was working. He was always in a constant surprise when his professor or a classmate would tell him to leave; and it appears today was no exception. "Hey!" The voice of his classmate Nishiki calls out. He sounds slightly annoyed with Hide, but really that was nothing new; Hide could get a bit eccentric at times. "You gotta leave. Now!"

"Just another hour or two, I'll be out by then."

"No Nagachika. Get out and go home."

Hide groans, but he knows he won't win this fight. Bitterly he sweeps up his mess of notes randomly into a folder and tucks away his multiple ghoul books into his backpack before lazily slinging it on himself. Nishiki nods to himself in approval as Hide drags himself out the classroom and stretches. "I'm so close to a cure." He tells to no one in particular. Nishiki's hand twitches on the handle, but he remains impassive at Hide's comment. Hide already knows Nishiki's a ghoul; Hell he knows who every ghoul is in the class. You don't just spend years of your life reading about the make up of ghouls and _not_ learn how to pick up the biological signs. It's not like he's going to tell them that though, he'd probably end up on the 11pm missing persons report. For now he was a nuisance, but a tolerable nuisance.

"Oi Nagachika, head home. You don't know when a ghoul could strike you know." There was a small, almost invisible, predatory smile to Nishiki that any other person would have missed; but Hide wasn't just any other person now was he?

"Right, I hear ya loud and clear! Go straight home! Got it! Will do!" Hide waves off with the usual dazzling smile he does when he wants people to think he's an idiot. Nishiki rolls his neck side to side, Hide can tell his suspicions lowered now, and the two head off in opposite directions home. Nishiki to his girlfriend and Hide to his instant noodles and research.

Hide's walk home is uneventful. He knows where ghouls are likely to strike and when. The most dangerous part of his walk home was the stretch between the bushes and his apartment door. Even then he was still in no danger.

Unlocking the door he turns on the lights and flings his bag on his bed and his folder onto his desk as he walks into his kitchen to pull out another night's worth of instant noodles. He walks over to his old stove kettle and fills it with tap-hot water before placing it over the stove to heat up further. The few minutes he has while waiting for the water to boil are the only few minutes he allows for himself to just relax. He leans back against a bench and sighs, flinging his neck back and feeling the muscles stretch. Another content sigh slips out as he enjoys this moment of pure tranquillity. He thinks during this time. He thinks about things he'd rather be doing, like playing video games and watching horror movies. He thinks about why he's so invested in his research; and he thinks about why he's desperate for a phantom of his dreams to come home when he doesn't even know who this phantom is.

The kettle whistles, forcibly pulling Hide out of his thoughts and into his own reality. With repeated motions learned from numerous nights that repeat he pours the hot water into the cup expertly, he then takes the cup to his desk to work while he waits for it to cook. He forgets the thing is even there until his stomach growls out a protest 3 hours later at midnight and he looks up and remembers. It takes him about 8 minutes to eat the cold noodles before he throws them into the full trash can beside his desk and slouches over his research to continue.

Most people would have to wonder what research was so important that a college student in the prime of his youth would give up his nights for? Well Hide was _this_ close to figuring out a medication that could help ghouls to produce the enzymes they lacked that restricted them to a diet of human flesh. He was determined to figure this out soon. If he could figure this out (beside the fame and fortune he could earn _before_ he even graduates) then ghouls would be free to live their lives without the constant fear of being hunted down. Hide knew the CCG would need to remain, he figured some ghouls would refuse to assimilate and remain with the devouring of human flesh. At least ghouls may be able to have some legal rights within Japan, and possibly even the world, if he was successful. Yes. That is what motivated him. It was **most** **definitely** **not** the hope that his dream-phantom would reveal himself at the door one day if he did. That would be a ridiculous reason to give up almost everything except for work and human functions. Wouldn't it?

Hide managed to scrawl half of a formula theory down at 2am before he collapsed onto his notes and fell asleep atop his own desk, as usual.

XX

"He just _**won't**_ stop!" A sharp voice hissed to the table. "Bribes are useless, threats are useless. He must be an utter idiot!"

"If he continues _and_ is successful, I can tell you now it's not my pay getting docked." Another voice grumbles amongst the others.

" **Fuck** your pay, I'm not tossing any of _my_ people to the street!" A fist now smacks the table.

"My children may have to go to school with those-those- _ **those things**_! They would be _protected_!"

The voices of the people from the table are yelling all at once now. Honestly it's giving the newcomer a headache. She grits her teeth and walks up to the table, pulls out a gun, and fires it into the roof. Plaster falls to the ground as the voices silence themselves. She's happier now, a small smile creeps up her face. She has their attention now, and their fear. Good.

"I have a solution to all your snivelling and whining." She sneers and throws blank paper onto the table, a knife rolls out after them. She can see the table is now confused. Some are whispering to others if they knew her and how she got in, thinking they can't be heard by her. "I'll make this simple for all you seat-warmers. _**I'll kill the boy**_. For the right price of course." She smiles cutely now, sticking her tongue out the side and giving a little wink and giggle. The table's faces pale and she knows she has had the desired effect. She's hired.

XX

Hide's alarm blared at him from across the room, beside his bed. He moans a little as he gets up to turn it off and he's filled with a sudden relief he lives alone. Nobody should ever know sleepy Hide is the seductive Hide, like **ever**! In his opinion that is.

He saw on the alarm it was 10 am. He started to panic. He had class in 10 minutes. Throwing on the closest things he could find and collecting his belongings as fast as possible he was out the door and running as fast as he could towards the university.

Hide ran out into the street knocking over people and calling out an apology with his charming smile behind him as he ran. He only really stopped when he was running past Nishiki's workplace and saw him working. The two had class, so what the hell was he doing working?

Nishiki himself had looked up and almost dropped his tray of empty coffee cups when he saw Hide. "What the hell are you wearing Nagachika?" He hisses at Hide's apparel. Hide finally looks down to see what he's thrown on. An embarrassing Christmas jumper he got as a gift from his mother 2 years ago, a shirt of some American band he liked in his senior year of high school, grey track pants he wears as pyjamas when the nights are cold and he can drag himself to his bed, two odd socks, and- Oh god! He's wearing sandals over top of those two odd socks.

"I'm late for class." Hide puffs out as he tries to catch his breath. It's the only reasoning he could give at the moment. Nishiki looks up to the sky and groans.

"Nagachika, its a **Sunday**. We _don't_ have a class on Sunday." Nishiki then gives a look towards Hide. Something in his cold, frozen heart cracks at the fashion disaster of a happy boy, and probably making the biggest mistake of his life offers to make Hide a coffee, his treat. Stars light up in the blond boys eyes, like a puppy. Hide never expected Nishiki "Go home Nagachika" Nishio to do anything but give seething looks towards him. Hide eagerly accepts and soon he is seated and resting at a table waiting for a caramel latte.

Only a few minutes later a waitress with long black hair hands him his drink. Her smile is blinding and Hide is already having alarm bells ringing in his head. "Enjoy your drink sir." She giggles before disappearing out of his sight, between other customers. It all seemed wrong to him. The colour of his latte was off, and the speed was too fast considering the amount of other customers waiting before him. What disturbed him the most however was her smile. It was the same smile he gave to people when he wanted to distract people from something.

He's been staring at the drink for 5 minutes before a purple haired waitress glides up towards him with a proper looking caramel latte in hand. She's clearly weary, but still trying to wear a customer service smile on her face as she pulls up to Hide. "Here's your dri-Oh!" She looks from the drink towards Hide. "You already got it." It's more of a statement than a question and she seems about ready to pull back and leave before Hide on instinct tries to tell her about the odd waitress.

"Yeah, I got it from the waitress with the long black hair and brown, freckled skin. She seemed… happy." The purple haired waitress frowns now. "It looks odd to you too doesn't it?" Hide pushes on and the waitress nods, before she picks up the other latte and brings it to her nose. Her eyes widen and she tells Hide not to drink anything from that cup before she gets her manager before she rushes off.

Shortly the purple haired waitress returns with an elderly man, who Hide assumes to be her employer. "Hello sir," He nods, Hide can't see the old man's eyes but he's frowns. "I'm Yoshimura, the owner of Anteiku, and I apologise firstly because your latte appears to be poisoned."


	2. Chapter 2

Authors Note:

This hasn't been edited past spell check but i'll fix it tomorrow, It's 11:30 pm and I wanna read other peoples fanfiction lmao. Its also the longest chapter I've ever written so I hope it doesn't ramble. There is some OcxOc in this chapter bt its for character development of the ocs. There will be stuff like this featuring Hide and Kaneki later on so don't worry, this is a hidekane fanfic after all. This is an unbeta'd work. Please comment and Kudos. Also thank you for the over whelming support of the first chapter. You are the best! Also should I move this up to M or?

ARTOD xx

 _The clank of chains. "_ _ **What's a thousand minus seven?**_ _" The feeling of a needle. "_ _ **What's a thousand minus seven?**_ _" Pain in his fingers. Pain in his toes. Pain in his head. He's Helpless. He's at the mercy of another. "_ _ **Tell me what's a thousand minus seven.**_ _" Crack! Crack! Crawl! Crack! Crack! Crawl!_

" _ **N-n-nine hundred and ninety t-three.**_ _"_

Violently Kaneki is awakened by an intruding sound. He clenches and digs his blackened nails into the skin around his heart; trying to force it's erratic beating to still for the moment. His olive eyes narrow as they scan the blinding white room for a threat. None; unless a ringing cellphone can be counted as such.

He reaches out and curls his fingers around the ancient flip phone and peers at the caller ID.

'Yoshimura'

He almost breaks the neck of his phone with the speed and force he opens it with.

XX

Anteiku closed as usual that day, save for Hide working for most of the day on his research. Touka had been making faces towards him and whispering to Nishiki all day. Hide presumed they were talking about him considering how often they would glance back towards his direction then look away quickly as he looked back up. The other ghouls of Anteiku seemed to not be bothered by his presence at all, acting as if he wasn't really there to begin with.

At the moment for Hide he had been tricked by a young ghoul named Hinami into explaining his research. His one weakness! He was currently in the middle of a simplified lecture on the structural differences of ghouls and humans before Hinami's excited gasp stopped him.

"That's so cool brother!" She had for the past hour been referring to Hide as her older brother despite not knowing his last name. Ah the innocence of youth! "Does that mean you can tell whose a ghoul and who isn't by looking at them?"

"Yep, I can tell most of the time who is a ghoul and who isn't?"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah."

"Prove it!"

"I know your a ghoul Hinami." Hide flashes her a reassuring smile as a look of worry crosses her face and he taps her nose once. She blinks and rubs her nose as she looks up at Hide with confused little brown eyes. "Shame on you Hinami, **I wouldn't dare rat out a friend to the CCG**." Hide raises his voice so the two whispering ghouls can hear. Touka glares before turning around and Nishiki just hisses a little before announcing he's going home, and leaving for the night. More specifically he growled out to the room, "I'm leaving before that _stink bug_ gets here."

Stink bug? Who else was coming and this late at night too. More specifically could Hide go home? He had just been told by the old manager that his life was in danger and to wait while he arranged something out for him. That had been in the late morning. Now it was dark outside and he still hadn't seen or heard anything from the old man. Hell he doesn't even know fully why he wants to help. Hide's current theory was he was interested in his research, I mean come on, what ghoul wouldn't be. It was life changing research, but why go so far for one human?

"Hey Touka." He calls to the purple haired waitress as she passes. She jumps slightly, clearly surprised that after the whole afternoon of the two trying to avoid talking to each other he would call for her just like that.

"What?" She grits her teeth and musters a terrifying glare towards Hide. Half her face is covered by her fringe and Hide can't help but think back to Samara from the ring. He shivers. She's won the game of dominance.

"I-I was just wondering why your boss was going so far to help me?" Touka's face twists into a horrid look of disgust.

"Yoshimura is a kind man." Hinami is the first one to reply, as she places her small had over Hide's trembling one. He can't believe he's just pissed off a ghoul in a single sentence. Stupid idiot and his stupid, curious mind.

"Why else would he go so far to help you. A complete stranger to him." Touka says before stalking off to the back room.

"Don't mind her," the voice of an older waiter calls. It's someone Hide had heard being called Koma earlier in the day. "She's always like that to people she doesn't know. It's her defence mechanism."

"O-oh really?" Hides still shaken but he's starting to get better at concealing it now. One of his hands is underneath the table, strumming a beat on his leg. Hinami seems worried and Hide hopes she doesn't think he's scared of ghouls now. No Hide is just scared of Touka. The teen seems to hold all the fury of hell in her heart, and her looks could strike a Hide down in his seat.

Koma's begun to go off on a rant about his 'glory days' now while Hide was distracted. Hinami is stifling a giggle behind her hand and the elder waitress Hide knew as 'Irimi' is putting her hand on his arm and urging his to stop talking.

"-after all no one really wants to hear about your boring youth."

"Ah, but wouldn't it be our boring youth? We did spend a lot of time together after all." A small smile perks up on Irimi's lips, almost unnoticeable, but once again Hide notices everything.

The mood of Anteiku has lightened up considerably now. Hide's stopped shaking and drumming. Hinami's laugh is now filling the cafe. The two elders are enjoying their own private memories of their past together. Everything was happy.

So that's the precise point that the door bell rang through the room and in walked, to Hide, a scarier ghoul than Touka.

"It's stink bug." Hide murmured out loud before he could even think to shut up.

XX

"I can't even fucking **believe** this!" The voice is angry. It's owner, the devilish beauty of an assassin from earlier this morning picked up a knife and hurled it at the space beside her partners head.

"Watch it Jet." She growls, looking at the few pieces of chopped light blue hair now on her lap. She closes the book she was reading and stands, taking the knife from the wall and striding beside Jet.

"How the hell did he know? The colour of the latte wasn't that off. The trackers and recorders we put on him were too small to be seen. So how did that shit know? How Aqua? **HOW**?" Jet was fuming now, pulling her dark hair in one hand and clenching the other.

Aqua's arm went around her shoulder and the other pushed the knife handle into her clenched hand. "Hey, hey," she murmurs into the black locks. "There will be other chances, he can't be vigilant forever. Let me handle the target next time."

Jet's hand de-tangles from her hair as she turns around to grip at the hips of her partner, drawing her closer. Aqua giggles and the knife is once again thrown into the wall.

"I do wish you would stop doing that. Our deposit is going down the drain." Aqua breathes out as Jet's hands slide up the back of her shirt, pulling her closer. Aqua's head pulls back to reveal creamy, unblemished skin. "I don't really care." Jet responds as she goes down biting, licking and sucking on the taller's neck.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!" Aqua cries out, pulling at Jet's shirt wildly. "Idian." She cries out before being pushed harshly away from Jet.

"My sister again?" Jet questions, her face is curled in hurt and disgust but Aqua doesn't care, Jet isn't the woman she loves nor cares about.

"What can I say? You look a lot like her."

XX

Shit.

Hide's done it now. The new ghoul is glaring at him and if he thought Touka was hells vessel before he sure knows better now.

The white haired ghoul was adorned in an all black ensemble, far more coordinated than Hide's own current dress. His nails matched his outfit, black as what Hide assumed to be his heart. His cold, olive eyes met Hide's own honey brown gaze; and despite the alarm ringing in his head screaming out danger and to run, Hide still spared a thought to how gorgeous 'stink bug's' eyes are.

"Big brother!" Hinami joyfully calls out, slipping from the seat across Hide and running up to greet the ghoul. In turn his face lightens considerably and 'stink bug' is smiling at her, running a hand affectionately over the top of her head. Hinami is soon gripping at that hand tightly and trying to drag him in Hide's direction.

"You have to meet Hide, he's amazing." She praised "He's working on medicine that lets ghouls eat human food. You could have a hamburger again, Kaneki!" Kaneki's eyes grow wide before he pulls his arm away from Hinami completely. She huffs and turns to sit back down across from Hide again. Hide's mind is still thinking over what she said. ' _You could have a hamburger again, Kaneki_!' He ate hamburgers before? But the structure of a ghouls tongue would cause a hamburger to taste disgusting, let alone the digestive complications in actually _eating_ non-human meat.

"Ah Kaneki, you're here already? I trust the journey was fine." Yoshimura has appeared again, descending the stairs to greet the fellow ghoul.

"Yeah, there were no investigators around or following me. What is this all about. You said you wanted me to take someone in but surely you don't mean _that._ " He points his thumb at Hide, who has decided to go back to working on his papers if Kaneki is going to be so _**rude**_. Yoshimura shakes his head, a little smile crossing his lips like he knows something the two don't.

"We should probably discuss this in my office, it is a grave matter after all. Hide would you kindly come with us?"

"Uh sure." Hide isn't really interested in going to a small room away from every one with Kaneki, but he's sure Yoshimura would at least stop Kaneki from killing him if worse comes to worse. Hide stands and gathers his notes and books into his folder and bag before he waves off to Hinami and gives her his dazzling distraction smile too (he hopes) put her a little more at ease.

The three head up the wooden steps, each giving off an ominous, hollow, thunk to Hide with each step they took. Yoshimura then ushered the two into his office, closing the wooden door behind him. Hide took a seat on the sofa beside the small desk and, with reluctance, Kaneki took the seat the furthest away from Hide.

Hide's bag fell to the floor with a small thump and Yoshimura took out a few tea cups. Was he really going to serve coffee to the two of them? There was a few minutes of silence within the room as Yoshimura brewed the coffee for the three of them. Kaneki seemed to glance around the room then flick his gaze to glare at Hide when he realised he was staring. This is a motion that would repeat as Hide would look away until Kaneki's glare shifted then he would go right back to staring at Kaneki until he would be caught again. Hide had almost made it into a game before he heard a cup be placed in front of him. He looked at the dark liquid before thanking the elderly ghoul and taking a sip. Hide spit it out immediately.

"Ugh." The coffee was foul and Hide was now wiping his tongue on his Christmas jumper. "It tastes like you tipped a bottle of perfume and an ashtray in that."

"Close," The old man wickedly grinned. "It was _half_ a bottle of cough syrup."

"Why?"

"I just wanted you to experience just a _taste_ of how other foods can taste to a ghoul Hide. You are after all, creating a medication so we can eat human food." Hide didn't need to be a rocket scientist to understand the hidden meaning behind the foul drink. He needed to find a way for ghouls tongues to accept the taste also, or no ghoul would accept his work.

"I get it."

" _Do you_?" Kaneki interrupts, he's looking at Hide now. His ever present glare would probably set Hide on fire if given the chance. "Do you _really_ understand how foul food is for a ghoul if it isn't _ **human**_?" Kaneki seemed extremely sensitive to this issue it seemed. Hide took a mental note of it in-case the need ever arose for this conversation again with Kaneki he would be more careful.

"No, no I don't, because I am human." Hide hissed, leaning towards the white haired ghoul then restraining himself in surprise. What the hell? Why was he so angry with Kaneki all of a sudden? Did his sugar level drop? Was he tired? Or maybe the ghouls attitude was affecting him somehow? But why?

"Yeah," Kaneki rumbles back at Hide. "So was I."

Wait! What? 'So was I?' What the hell is that meant to mean?

"Please, calm down you two. This isn't why we're here. Hide's life is in danger. He's being targeted by an assassin."

"I _can't_ possibly see why."

Yoshimura frowns at Kaneki and the ghoul silences himself. Yoshimura continues.

"Hide's work is irreplaceable along with Hide himself. How many other humans with the talent he has would be willing to work on a medication for ghouls?" Yoshimura pauses. Hide is almost blushing now, he didn't really think he was that important or special. "Kaneki, I was wondering if you would hide Hide until he can finish his work." Kaneki looks horrified and Hide can see the 'no' forcing it's way out of his throat. "Before you refuse just please keep in mind if Hide is successful then the wishes of the ghouls at Anteiku can be further fulfilled."

Kaneki slipped into a deep thought. He slid down the sofa and leaned his head against the back, closing his eyes and sighing. It was silent for another few minutes apart from the few times Kaneki murmured Hinami or Touka's name among with others Hide didn't recognise.

Hide was just reaching for his bag to begin re-reading a ghoul text book to see if he missed out any important information when Kaneki decided to grunt out an angry "Fine, I'll take him in.". Yoshimura was practically the Cheshire Cat with his grin now.

"Of course we can't force Hide to join along with this plan. He's free to refuse if he wishes."

"Well," Hide states. "I don't want to die. So I'm in."


	3. Chapter 3: Hide and a hell of a drive

i'm so tired.

im sorry i didnt update for sooooo long but my computer fucked up (Messed with photoshop too) and i couldnt open libreoffice (which i write with)

No Jet and Aqua this week.

This is 1000% unedited to bear with it for a few days (I'm 3 days behind fenhawke week AHHHH!)

Also on another note:

I'm going to be making oneshots for this series further on down the road and adding them to a collection. They'll mostly be shorts that I feel didn't fit in with the story, or just hindered it. So watch out for them!

I own nothing but the au idea

ARTOD xx

/

Saying goodbye to Hinami was probably the hardest goodbye of Hide's life since bidding his mother off for university. The little ghoul almost crushed Hide in her tiny arms before she lets go to repeat her actions with Kaneki.

"I'll come to visit, I promise." He speaks softly to her, a small smile on his face as he runs his hand lightly over her head then swiftly pulls it away. His words seem to make Hinami feel better however as she returns the smile. Hide almost hates to watch the touching scene as his throat starts to swell with a dull ache. He needs a distraction, and so one comes.

Yoshimura taps Hide on the shoulder and Hide turns around to see an old leather bag being presented to him. "What's this?" Hide asks, as he reaches to take the bag from the elderly ghoul.

"A bag, and a spare uniform shirt and pants that were collecting dust in the store room. You'll need them."

"Why?"

"Well there has to be a reason as to how your would-be assassin found you here if she isn't watching you now."

"You think my stuffs been bugged?"

"Well perhaps not, but being old you learn precaution is better than death."

"I think that's a wise lesson to pass on sir."

"Use it well while you're young. I feel like you may need it more than most."

"Alright then." Hide takes a small peak inside the bag. "Should I change now or..."

"Kaneki can tell you when he feels it's best to leave behind your old clothes."

"Ok I understand." Hide looks up at Yoshimura and smiles. "Thank you for helping me. I promise it won't be in vain."

"If you stick to that promise there's no need to thank me."

"Yeah, well, at least let me take you out to buy you a burger or something when I finish this medication."

"I'll be looking forward to that then, so please work fast." Hide can see the old ghoul's smile has changed now, it seems to be softer, more real and Hide hopes to god he can work fast. Then he'll take the whole of Anteiku out for a burger, even mean ol' Kaneki.

Hide shuffles in his seat, feeling slightly awkward to the clean smell emitting from Kaneki's car. Hide had almost expected such a violent ghoul to have the scent of rotting corpses embedded into everything he would own, but the most frequent scent Kaneki gave off would be that of strong brewed coffee.

The scent of coffee mixed in with the clean smell of the car wraps itself around Hide as if to judge him. " _You assumed he was a savage because he's a ghoul, but he's not. He's really quite different to what your expecting_ _**Hide**_ " The smell taunts him as it drifts in and out his nose with each quick breath Hide took.

Hide's body however harboured a different reaction. His stomachs natural reaction to the scent of coffee (or any food for that matter) was to remind him that he hadn't eaten much of anything today, and he most certainly did not have dinner. The loud growl pierced though the uncomfortable silence of the car like a hot knife to butter.

"Uh... Kaneki... I'm hungry." ' _Ugh, obviously he knows that idiot. He does have ears_.' "Can we stop into a fast food place? McDonald's maybe?" Kaneki's face visibly pales at Hides suggestion and twists into a look of disgust, Hide can even swear he is turning slightly green.

"No." Is the blunt answer Kaneki gives. He doesn't stop to think, nor takes his eyes off the road to even look at the _poor_ , _starving_ Hide.

"But I'm hungry and McDonald's is good."

"No!" His refusal is louder this time. Kaneki is now gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles are turning white.

"Ah Kaneki please," Hides stomach growls again to prove his point, and Hide's cheeks gain a touch of pink in embarrassment. "I really need to eat."

Kaneki is silent for the moment, his eyes not leaving the road but not watching it either. His tight grip on the steering wheel loosens. "We can stop in a service station, but we a NOT going near McDonald's." He finally compromises and while feeling slightly disappointed Hide agrees, feeling it was the best offer he was going to get. "And while your there go into the bathroom and ditch your clothes. Including sandals and socks."

"Kaneki," ' _ **Oh no'**_ he can't stop himself. "That is so forward. We only just met today," ' _Hide_ _ **stop!**_ ' "Propositioning me that early. Sorry I'm not a bathroom-fuck-on-the-first-date kinda guy." ' _I'm dead.'_

Instead of the murderous, aggressive reaction Hide was expecting, Kaneki just sighs and leans into the back of his seat, with a hint of pink of his cheeks.

"I'm not gay," Kaneki mumbles back to Hide. "I _used_ to have a girlfriend."

" _Used to_? So you're not together now?" ' _Nagachika you're pushing it._ ' He tells himself, but he will most likely continue anyway. At least until Kaneki tries to knock him out to get him to shut up. Although Hide's thinking that Kaneki might not do that now.

"She… Uh… Tried to eat me… Then was crushed to death… It's not really something I like to talk about." Kaneki mutters back, his focus sharply glued to the road now. Just how long until they reached a service station?

"Naturally, that's women for you." The story seems familiar to Hide, like he heard about it in the past. Maybe on the news? Or did he read about it in the paper?

"That's _ghouls_ for you."

"You seem to be cosy with Touka though? Think you might date her?"

" _Oh my god_ ," Kaneki seems to be close to screaming, but Hide is relieved he's conversing with him. "I want _any_ discussion of my love life to end right now."

"Ok, what about your sex life?"

"You know what just stop talking to me Nagachika."

 _Hide doesn't know when he fell asleep, but with the presence of his dream-phantom signals he is in fact unconscious. The phantom reaches out to run a cool, ghostly, hand across Hide's face. Very rarely does it touch him and it makes Hide feel as if he's done something right._

"Who are you?" _Hide mumbles, barely coherent enough to even realise he's asked the question. The dream-phantom doesn't answer Hide, it never does. Instead it aims to distract Hide by running its touch down his face to his neck. Hide sighs and leans into the touch. The phantom steps closer, slipping it's other arm around Hide's waist and drawing him in. The phantom settles it's head in between the crook of Hide's shoulder and neck, nuzzling it's cool nose along Hide's skin, pulling him into a pure, calming bliss._

"Just… Who… Are… You?"

Then everything is gone and Hide is awake again.

Arriving at the service station Kaneki finds that in the silence he had enforced, Hide has fallen asleep. Kaneki actually thinks he has a child-like innocence to him when he's asleep. Hide's curled himself into a ball, hiding the lover half of his face and nose behind the sleeves of that ugly Christmas sweater. He seems to be at peace, giving Kaneki one of the only expressions he knows is true. Kaneki almost hates to wake him up. **Almost**.

"Get up!" He roughly grips Hide's arm and shakes until the pharmacy student is jolted awake. Hide looks around confused for a moment and rubs his eyes.

"Where are we Kaneki?" Hide mumbles through his tiredness. He is slightly flushed and staring at Kaneki with half open golden eyes.

"At the service station. Get changed in the bathroom and I'll meet you inside."

"Alright." Hide gets up without an argument and proceeds to walk in the opposite direction of the station and its bathroom, leaving his bag behind as he does so. Kaneki sighs, grabbing the bag before locking the car door and jogging in the direction of Hide. He takes Hides hand and leads him to the bathroom.

"Now everything needs to come off, even your underwear. Got it?" Hide just gives a goofy smile and nods as he enters the bathroom.

Kaneki sighs before he goes back to the car and fills it with petrol. He then enters the service station and spends 3 minutes selecting a doughnut and ordering 3 coffees before Hide enters the station in just a white shirt and black pants. He's shoeless and seemingly more awake now. He walks over to Kaneki and snags a packet of chips before putting them on the counter with Kaneki's doughnut and coffees.

"It's nice to see a couple out this late together," the cashier comments to the two of them. "Me and my boyfriend used to take long drives too, that's..." Kaneki doesn't really listen. He just slaps a few bills on the counter before grabbing his coffee and doughnut and leaving. He can hear Hide apologise for him and explain they weren't dating as he collects the change. He also sees Hide flash one of his fake smiles and cringes before he's out of the door.

He waits in the car for half a minute before Hide enters the passenger seat. Kaneki throws the doughnut to hide who looks in between it, his coffee and his chips before thanking Kaneki. Kaneki just shrugs and takes a sip of his coffee and sighs. It tastes like shit.

The two realise the rest of this ride is going to be a _long_ , boring one.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hi its been 3 months since I updated and well as I've said on my AO3 I have severe anxiety and depression and that makes it hard for me to do things. This also went way out of control and I was briefly hospitalized but now im out and on medication and therapy so i hope it will work.

On a lighter note when i wrote this (Yesterday) it was my 17th birthday so yay me i guess!

Anyway enjoy

* * *

"Jet, we have a problem." The taller woman sighs as she walks into the room, knowing full well her partner will not be happy.

" _What is it?_ " Jet hisses at Aqua through tightly clenched teeth.

"Hide hasn't returned home and it's almost 3 am."

"Oh," Jet says, visibly relaxing as she unclenches her teeth and runs her fingers through her long black hair to hide her embarrassment over her reaction. "That's good, maybe he got eaten by one of those coffee shop ghouls."

"I'm doubtful. They gave him over to Centipede and the trackers we hid on him say he's been in the same place for 4 hours now. A gas station."

"How the hell can you doubt he's dead? They literally gave him over to Aogiri Tree. He's Centipedes dinner hon."

" _Dontcallmethat!_ " Aqua hisses, rubbing the pressure points on the sides of her nose in frustration. Why can't Jet just listen to her for once? She _is_ meant to be their informant expert after all. "Listen to me! Nagachika is alive, and we just lost track of where he is! Time is running thin Jet. With the way you're acting I would say you don't want to save your sister!"

An object passes Aqua's head at an intense speed, shattering on the wall behind her. She looks over to see the shattered remains of a glass that had the unfortunate luck to be around Jet in one of her rages. "Don't you ever, _ever_ , say I don't want to save Idian, she's _my_ sister."

Tension remains so thick in the air Aqua could probably cut it with a knife. A retort worms its way to the tip of her tongue and Aqua struggles to bite it down. There's only one thing she knows will be calm Jet's temper now.

Aqua kisses Jet.

"What is- _shit_." Jet's anger falls from her like the autumn leaves. She starts to respond. Just as Jet's tongue slips into the other girl's mouth, Aqua pulls away. "You tease." Jet moans, breathing heavily and clutching to Aqua as if she was her lifeline. The only thing keeping her afloat in the deep blue ocean. Aqua leans beside Jet's ear, she blows into it gently and whispers.

"I _know_ Nagachika's alive Jet, _please_ just trust me, _dear_."

XX

 ** _8 hours_**. They've been on the road for 8 hours now. Hide thinks he's slowly starting to lose it being trapped in this car with Kaneki " _Don't you dare talk to me Nagachika._ " …? **_Shit!_**

" **I don't even know your first name!** " Hide yells at the top of his lungs and smacking his hands on the dashboard in front of him; spooking Kaneki and causing him to swerve as he temporally loses control of the car.

" _What the_ **_fuck_** _Nagachika!_ " Kaneki hisses back at him once he regains a steady control. He sends Hide a seething look, but Hide doesn't seem to notice under the weight of his inevitable meltdown.

" _I've been in this car with you for **8 hours** and I don't even know your whole name. Oh my god! I haven't worked on my formulas since we left the gas station either. I bet you I won't have the proper facilities to even consider making a simple chemical compound let alone a drug where we're going and-_ " Hide inhales deeply as he realises something **_dreadful_** , so deeply in fact he's sucked in a heap of dust he dislodged with his hand slam earlier and is choking. "Kaneki!" He looks over sending a desperate look to the ghoul who was leaning slightly away from the blonde now and clenching the steering wheel. "I'll be kicked out of university and then I'l-"

"Shut up and _breathe_ Nagachika. You're being targeted by assassins and some shitty school is what you're worried about?" Kaneki shakes his head. Hide's offended, it's not like he'd know the stresses of a university student.

"Actually I used to be a literature major." Kaneki says, a hint of annoyance in his tone. _Shit he said that aloud_?

"But still…" Hide trails off, thinking about his goals and dreams. "I need to keep my grades up so I can access to ghoul research otherwise I'll eventually come to a point where I can't do anymore."

"Why are you so desperate to finish you research? Is it fame? Do you think you'll save lives by completing this?"

"Actually its more selfish than that…"

"Go on…"

Hide gives Kaneki a look, he can tell the white haired ghoul is interested. _Yes, Hide! This is your bargaining point. Find information!_

"I'll tell you if you tell me your first name." _Hide I am your brain and I have to say I hate you!_

Kaneki sighs and debates the situation for a moment, but in the end Kaneki is still a curious guy who loves mystery books and this has brought on the urge to know about Hide's dark past.

"…Ken." He mumbles just under his breath so Hide couldn't make out the name.

"I'm sorry what? I don't speak mumble." With a deep sigh Kaneki repeats himself.

"Ken. My name is Kaneki Ken." Hide begins to chuckle then.

"Wow that's very… _wow!_ "

"I know! I know! Just shut up and tell me why you're so desperate to complete your research."

"Well…" Hide begins. "Every night I have this dream of a ghost-like person, a _phantom_ basically; and I feel a comfort so intense it's something I've never experienced before. When I was in high school I didn't know what to do. I had so many interests. I was going to be a folk-lore historian to try and discover more on the dream phantom of mine, a-and I even joined the occult club…" Hide became sheepish at that. It wasn't a time he liked to remember. All black clothes, too much black eyeliner. Ugh! It made him cringe just thinking about it. "Through the _occult club_ , I met a girl who was a ghoul supporter and she told me her idea that we should just allow human corpses to be eaten by them as ' _It's not like we need them after we die anyway'_ and I, just joking around, said to her ' _What if we just magically changed their diet so they could eat human food instead of humans?_ ' That night was the very first time the dream phantom ever touched me and I was so elated. I eventually came to the connection the dream phantom would come closer and closer to me the more I researched into this and well… I joined the pharmaceuticals department and rose to the top of the class to gain access to more materials to work with, and… well… the rest of the story is history."

"That is the dumbest reason I have ever heard to pursue a career, and I've spoken to Tsukiyama."

" _Tsuki-who_?" Kaneki shakes his head at Hide.

"Never you mind, you'll meet him when we get to Aogiri's temp base, _if he hasn't gotten himself killed yet_." Kaneki grinds his teeth.

"Ok then, but why did you enter university then? A literature class can't pull much job opportunities."

"This _isn't_ 50 questions Nagachika."

"Yeah but you belittled me so I only think it's fair." Kaneki sighs again. Hide notes down that he seems to do that a lot, especially around him.

"I liked books. There happy? Now I want silence for the rest of this ride."

" _Yessir!_ "

The silence didn't last long.

XX

When Kaneki pulled into an abandoned building Hide was a first confused. Then when 3 sets of cloaked figures appeared he shit himself, grabbing onto Kaneki's arm and making the ghoul turn his piercing eyes onto him in a glare. He still didn't let go though. Kaneki winds down the window and the smallest of the 3 cloaked figures rips off his mask.

"What the fuck is this?" ' _Holy shit he looks like a mini, male Touka_ ' Hide notes to himself as the teenage, purple-haired look alike flashes his kakugan at Hide and growls. "You bringing back dinner in the front seat now?"

"Yeah," Kaneki replies to the teenage ghoul calmly making Hides heart stop for a moment and for Hide to dig his nail's into Kaneki's arm tighter. " ** _If you want to be dismembered limb from limb over and over again until I finally decide to put your pitiful existence out of its misery_**." Kaneki's voice is deep and low as he says this, sending a shiver through Hide's spine that wasn't entirely all fear.

The teenage ghoul hisses and looks away from Kaneki.

"I-I got it."

"Good."

"My, My, _Kaneki~_ Could it be you've found yourself a little kitten to love?" A smooth voice purrs as another of the masked figures removes his mask to reveal quite a handsome face and bright purple hair. Hide can feel Kaneki tense under his grip and Hide blushes allowing it to slacken in distraction. Kaneki instantly pulls away.

" _That's **Tsukiyama**_. See why I said he probably wouldn't be alive when we arrived." _Well_ … He hadn't exactly said that, but Hide understands if he opens his mouth now _he'll_ be the one in big trouble. So he just nods.

" **Oh Kaneki~!** " Tsukiyama cries, clutching his arm to his chest as if his heart was in pain. "I am hurt, **wounded** even. Alas that cold attitude makes me want to devour you more." " _Holy shit he wants to eat Kaneki?_ " Hide thinks to himself, aghast at the sudden proclamation. " _And Kaneki keeps him around? Unfazed? This can only mean he's either lying and this is a running joke… or Kaneki's stronger than him._ '

"In your dreams." Kaneki replies to the other, _older_ , purple haired ghoul and opens his car door smacking Tsukiyama as he does. "Banjo," He looks over to the other, still masked ghoul. "Hide's our _guest…_ and unfortunately we're in a situation where we _have_ to protect him while he works." Hide gives the other ghoul a bright (fake) smile and an enthusiastic (fake) wave. "I'm going to mostly watch him but in situations where I can't he's under your watch. You're the only one I can trust with this." Kaneki touches the ghoul named Banjos arm and- **Oh my god!** He's smiling! Like an actual smile! ' _And he looks kinda hot too- No Hide don't you **dare** start thinking like that.' _ Tells himself but it's useless, he's already thought it and now he has to live with it.

"Now…" Kaneki says, turning back to Hide. Smile wiped away. "Get out of my car Nagachika! I've been driving for 16 hours and I'm tired."

"A-alright!" Hide stammers, grabbing his research work and books before hopping out the car and running beside Kaneki. "I-it's nice to meet you all! Thank you for doing this for me."

The teenage ghoul huffs and ends up storming off with a few choice words to Hide. Banjo removes his mask and besides his weird goatee he seems nice as he greets Hide and Tsukiyama holds out his Hand to Hide which is smacked away by a glaring Kaneki.

"Come on let's go." Kaneki hisses before excusing the three and forcibly and painfully grabbing Hides wrist; and he hisses as Kaneki drags him along inside the building filled with curious ghouls as he issues out orders.

"Don't leave the room without me or Banjo. Don't wonder off without me or Banjo. If Tsukiyama or any other unauthorised ghoul approaches you without one of us scream, _and for the love of_ \- Stop trying to wriggle your wrist out otherwise you're gonna get eaten." Hide stops at that and lets himself get painfully dragged through a building until they come to a large door. Inside that door was a large white room (larger than Hide's apartment) with papers scattered everywhere. Most on Aogiri ghoul attacks, ghoul arrests and some even on Hide's research.

"Keeping up with my work I see." Hide teases and earns another glare from Kaneki.

"Can't you be quiet for once? Anyway there's a couch or a bed, depending on which one I pass out on the other's yours for the night. We can get some lab equipment in later so until then study or some shit and don't touch m-."

"Wait, wait, wait! We're staying in the same room? Like together?" Hide interrupts, stammering slightly. He's not fond of the idea of sharing the same Earth with Kaneki let alone a room with him.

" _Oh my god!_ This isn't grade school Hide. It's not gay if that's what you're worried about. This is just the safest place for you to stay in since no one but me and who I approve of enters through here."

" _I wasn't worried that it was gay._ I was worried that you would get irritated with me and kick me out."

"Once again Hide, _this isn't grade school._ "

"Whatever." Hide brushes off, his face is flushed slightly from embarrassment as he sees Kaneki go and lie down on the couch.

"I'm nice so you can have the bed tonight, but lights are off in a minute."

"Yeah, yeah." Hide replies and sighs a bit as he goes to sit on the, surprisingly comfortable, bed. He takes off his shoes as he begins to think about his life back home. What would happen to his apartment? How would his grades go? Would he be reported missing? Would he see his mother again soon? "Man I really wished I called her more." Hide mumbles before his sight is plunged into darkness.

" **Kaneki!** "


End file.
